1950s > Art Humanities
Meyer Schapiro and Art Humanities
As with CC and the literary and musical portions of Humanities, Art Hum also had its formative figure: Meyer Schapiro. In 1920, Schapiro came to Columbia as a scholarship student; he completed his BA here in 1924 and his Ph.D. five years later.
Influenced by John Dewey's aesthetics and Marxist theory, Schapiro was fascinated by the dynamic tension between the artist's freedom and the economic and social constraints of time, place and social standing.
When designing the curriculum of the new Humanities sequence in 1936, the course planning Committee requested Schapiro's assistance. In reply he proposed a historical approach that would develop students' "interest and responsiveness and taste, giving … insight into style as cultural object, or value" and a deeper understanding of religion, cultural ideals, social order, personal freedom and creativity."
In his talk delivered to in-coming college students in 1959, Schapiro gives 15 answers to the question "Why Study Art?" For example, reason #5:
"The place of art in our lives has changed with the general changes in the society and culture. It has become more important as our lives are more dominated by routines and conventions while we strive to become more free, self-determining and masterful. Art formerly was the model of skill with materials and techniques and closely bound to institutional life. Now it is more the model of spontaneity, feeling and personal freedom in creating objects submitted to the free judgment of others."
